Trying to come up with a list of top hymns has been about 8 years in the making. It started with a conversation that came out of a game called "Encore." The game basically has two teams going back and forth trying to sing at least 6 words of a song that contains some type of word. For example:
The word is "magic."
Team 1-- "Do you believe in magic in a young girl's heart..."
Team 2-- ""Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea..."
Team 1-- "Every little thing she does is magic..."
As we played this game, my dad and family friend Ralph went back and forth singing songs well after the game was over. They sang many hymns that I had never heard before, but were apparently "some of the best." This led to us wanting to come up with a "best of" list of great hymns.
Every now and then I'd think about creating a list, but never did. Recently, in a moment of curiousity, I put up a question on Facebook. "What are the greatest hymns of all time?" All sorts of responses came in, with over 30 comments being made. Some songs I have on my list, some I had never heard of before, some I had forgotten about.
Obviously lists like this are subjective. This is my list. I think these hymns have deep theological meaning, have withstood the test of time, and are memorable (I'm still whistling the tune or singing the words, off key of course, after I hear them). Still, here is my list, in alphabetical order:
